Summerwind

Today was a pretty full Saturday.  I started off with a group of friends and we talked about the difference between forgiveness and redemption.  From my perspective (and I'll speak for myself here) it is much more likely that I will receive forgiveness for past wrongs if I'm seeking redemption from them.  I have some small amount of influence on the later, and the former is wholly in the hands of someone else.  Forgiveness is really only important to me when I give it.  A wise woman I know says that forgiveness is simply giving up hope of a different or better past.  I like that definition because forgiveness really just becomes a matter of fact, since there is really no hope for a different or better past.  It's right there in the word itself...forgiveness, giving that happens in advance of the insult.

It doesn't quite come across as well when I write it, but it was a pretty good way to start the day.

Even though we are several days into autumn, a fresh "Summerwind" blew into town today.

Schooner "Summerwind" from Kings Point, NY

"Summerwind" is a the newest addition to the United States Merchant Marine Academy sailing fleet.  Laid down in 1929, she is a classic vessel in apparently new condition.  Her wooden masts, and, to me anyway, the unique design of her booms were a glorious addition to all three of my walks today.

Stern view of "Summerwind"

Rory Conlan and I discussed the appearance of "Summerwind," and when I related to him that it was a schooner, he had all kinds of questions about what the term schooner actually meant.  This led to a series of question regarding the classification of sailing boats or ships which Wikipedia does a passable job of describing and providing enough links to expand on these descriptions to satisfy anyone.  You can read all you ever wanted to know about what makes a hermaphrodite brig slightly different from a brigantine rigged ship.

I once again found that my walk has taken me places that I never even imagined existed. The real beauty of that magic is associated with the fact that I've already covered this path more times than I can easily count. Every moment is a journey and act of creation.  I find that if I'm bored with a place because I've seen it before, I am probably not trying hard enough to really observe because each moment and place, no matter how familiar it may seem, is truly unique.